All boxed up and ready to go to Cheeseburn

For the next couple of weekends Sustainable Ceramics will be displaying and selling a range of unique handmade bird boxes in the Design Arch at Cheeseburn.

Over the past few weeks David has been thinking about ways to improve the production process and make it more consistent. He has purchased a number of larger containers that will allow him to process larger batches of clay, and has prepared a large plaster slab on which he will leave the clay to dry. The plaster will absorb the water and speed up the drying process.



As the weekend approached we have been particularly busy. I've been creating new product information sheets, giving information about Sustainable Ceramics, and about the production process. David has been sketching some new designs and working on a new batch of boxes to be fired this week in time for next weekend.

We have boxed up all the bird boxes ready to be transported and displayed at Cheeseburn. We hope that visitors appreciate what they see, and find the story behind Sustainable Ceramics an interesting one.

Cheeseburn Open Weekend - Sustainable Ceramics

I was delighted that visitors to Cheeseburn Open Weekend were so positive about the range of bird boxes produced by Sustainable Ceramics. Looking forward to seeing them at Cheeseburn again next weekend.

Getting ready for the weekend at Cheeseburn Sculpture

In the run up to the next open weekend at Cheeseburn (this weekend - 29th and 30th June 2019),  local maker David Kirkland tests out his new kiln with his latest batch of sustainable ceramic bird boxes. The excitement (and tension) mounts as the lid door opens to reveal...

Sustainable Ceramics will have a range of bird boxes for sale at Cheeseburn over the summer. For more information about the Cheeseburn Open Weekends, please visit http://cheeseburn.com/

Preparing for Cheeseburn Sculpture June 2019 Open Weekend

In preparation for the next Open Weekend at Cheeseburn Sculpture on 29th and 30th June 2019, local maker David Kirkland is busy working on his collection of ceramic bird boxes.

David owns some woodland about 20 miles from the Cheeseburn estate. It is here that David digs the clay from which they are made, which he then processes back at his home in Newcastle. 

All are fired to 1250C, which makes them frostproof - they will outlast the tree or wall they are attached to!  

New boxes are designed to RSPB specifications to suit a range of specific bird species. Some of the new boxes will be textured to look rock-like, achieved by making glazes from rocks David collects from Northumberland, and wood ash from his fire. Other new boxes will be unglazed, but heavily textured (like the picture example), allowing the character of the Northumbrian clay they are made from to be seen.